Dark Destiny
by DrKazakhstan
Summary: Two teens meet each other in battle. They don't have any idea of the struggles they will endure that will end up bringing them closer together in the end. A mysterious scientist, a power-enhancing machine that can't be turned off, and a madman with tyrannical intentions. Just a few of the challenges they encounter. Total one-shot.


**Dark Destiny**

 **A Pokémon One-shot**

"Okay, Tex, it's time to finish this battle. Use Dark Pulse!" Kaz called out to his obedient Mightyena. The pair of them were in the middle of an intense Pokémon battle against a fellow trainer named Kayla and her Bayleef named Leaf. The two trainers stumbled upon each other when treading through Pinwheel Forest. They agreed to battle after the need for experience was apparent. They located a dirt clearing nearby and began the struggle.

Kaz was sixteen years and had short, platinum-blonde hair. He was the kind of person to stand out from the crowd even when he wasn't trying. He wore a dark grey baseball cap with the initials K.P. stitched in the front. He had on a light grey T-shirt, black jeans with tears at the knees, and dirty sneakers. Kaz also carried an orange satchel bag contained all his Pokémon and supplies for the road. A bracelet on his right wrist indicated that he had Mega-Evolution capabilities.

Kayla, on the other hand, was much different. She was seventeen, but was shorter than Kaz. She had long auburn hair tied up in a double bun, and wore no hat over it. She had on a bright pink T-shirt and a short blue skirt. She was mostly quiet, and had a nerdy schoolgirl look. Kayla considered herself a bit awkward towards new people, and Kaz was no exception. She donned a metal pin upon her breast that had a keystone set in place.

Tex the Mightyena jumped in front of Leaf the Bayleef. Leaf was injured, kneeling on the ground and wincing. Tex seemed to harbor no injuries as he snarled at his opponent. He was readying the move ordered by his trainer by reaching into his mind, pulling forth dark thoughts and turning them into physical power. He was about ready to leap when a sudden order from Kayla changed everything.

"Leaf, can you use Leaf Storm on the branches above your head?" Her voice was almost weak, but it was a risky thing to say. She didn't want to injure her Pokémon too much, but it might just be enough to stop the impending attack from Tex.

Leaf shot the leaves from her back up towards the tree branches above them. Instant snapping could be heard, and soon little bits of leaves and bark followed by branches fell onto the Mightyena. He wasn't expecting the sudden movement, so dodging the attack was impossible. Tex was down long enough for Leaf to escape to the opposite side of the battlefield.

"Alright, now shoot your Vine Whip at your opponent's feet!" Kayla commanded with much more confidence then before. The Bayleef complied and shot vines at the rocks and dirt around the Mightyena's feet. Tex was forced onto the ground by this action.

"And now, finish him with a Leaf Storm directly at him!" Kayla was worked up suddenly from anticipation. Leaf concluded the match with a direct hit on Tex.

"Come on back, Tex. You tried your best. Anyway Kayla, you did great out there. Nice surprise at the end." Kaz told her while calling his fainted Pokémon back to its ball. Leaf faithfully returned to her trainer's side.

"Hey, it wasn't anything special. I just tend to be a quick thinker on the battlefield." She said in a small voice. Kaz walked up to her from across the clearing.

"You mentioned earlier that you were heading towards Castelia City, right? It's a good time to mention that I was also going there to meet someone. If it's not too much, do you think I could accompany you?" As Kaz was telling this to Kayla, Leaf nuzzled his hand.

"Leaf seems to think it's a good idea. At least together we'll be much stronger than traveling alone." Kayla agreed to Kaz's suggestion and the both of them alongside Leaf navigated through Pinwheel Forest. They found the entrance to the Sky arrow Bridge and crossed it together to find the megacity known as Castelia. The sun was high in the sky, so Kaz decided to spend the day with Kayla.

"Once I stop at the Pokémon Center and my aunt's place, we can explore the city together or something." Kaz told Kayla.

"I'd like to come with you. I don't have much else to do and you're the only person I know in the whole city." She didn't want to be left alone with just Leaf.

"Of course not. I'd like to have a friend with me." After the short conversation, they headed through the interworks of the metropolis and found a two-story building with a red roof and Pokémon Center symbols on the windows. The group entered the building together, greeted by the few people that sat around and waited for their Pokémon to be returned. The nurse up front welcomed the newest group into the building.

"Welcome to the Castelia City Pokémon Center, children. How may I help you?" Kaz and Kayla were greeted with nothing but smiles and friendliness.

"Hello nurse, we just had a battle and need our Pokémon healed." Kaz explained as he handed over his Mightyena's pokeball. Kayla let Leaf go with the nurse as well and the two teenagers were told to wait a few minutes. They found a table with a few chairs and they sat down together to wait. Once they were settled in, Kaz started a small conversation with the girl.

"So you're on a journey throughout the Unova region? What's it like, wandering the open world away from home or anyone you know?" Kaz didn't mean to sound as mean as it may have come out.

"I started a few weeks ago. It was a bit scary at first, because I didn't know what kind of people I was going to meet. But it turns out that the majority of strangers around here aren't that bad." Kayla responded happily.

"I don't get out much from the city, but I've seen enough to keep me from going out too far. My aunt is expecting me back soon, but that doesn't mean we have to go separate ways. She doesn't mind guests and she's a little overprotective of me sometimes, but adults are always that way. Someday, I'm sure we'll understand why." Kaz began to drift away at the end of the sentence, noticing something outside of the Center.

A tall man was slowly strolling about outside, but he stood out more than a Beautifly in a pack of Bidoof. He was wearing a large white lab coat, thin glasses, and had overly slicked back blonde hair. A peculiar sky blue ribbon surrounded his head much like a halo. It was plain to see that he was a scientist of some sort. He was holding a small metal box with an antenna.

Kaz reached up and turned his cap around and stood up for a moment to get a better view. It was almost like the man was watching him back!

"Hey Kaz, what's up?" Kayla asked him, confused at his obsession with whatever was outside the window.

"Nothing. We should probably go ask the nurse if our Pokémon are feeling better." When Kaz looked back out the window, the scientist man was gone.

The pair headed up to the front desk of the Pokémon Center to see both Tex and Leaf were happy and healthy. When they were ready, the four of them left the Center and onto the busy streets of the city.

"Okay, if I remember correctly, my aunts place is on the thirty second floor of an apartment building called Icirrus Heights. It's not far from here." Kaz told Kayla. Before they started walking, Kayla did something Kaz awkwardly liked. She reached for his hand and their fingertips brushed against each other.

"I don't want to get lost." She stated before firmly locking his hand with hers. While this was going on, Leaf and Tex were sharing small gestures with each other. Tex looked into Leaf's eyes with a calming stare that made the Bayleef's cheeks turn red. She tried to hide it, but it only made the Mightyena try harder to get her attention. They were so distracted with each other that they almost missed their trainers walking away without them.

The little group of four slowly made their way to the apartment tower labeled as Icirrus Heights. Once inside, they were instructed to put their Pokémon back inside their pokeballs. Kaz and Kayla complied and used the elevator to reach floor 32. He led her to a door and produced a small metal key. He opened the door and was greeted by his aunt Shauntal.

"Who's your cute little guest?" Shauntal inquired towards Kaz. She almost always had a book of some sorts in her hands or was quoting lines from said books. Other times she sent him away so she could write down something she thought of. His aunt was not a normal person and he loved her because of it.

"Just a friend I met while in the Pinwheel Forest. I just came back to check in with you." Kaz replied. Kayla was still taking in who Kaz's aunt was.

"You never told me you were related to one of the Elite Four! You look nothing alike, which is kind of surprising. Ghost type Pokémon are the coolest!" Kayla proceeded to ask Shauntal if she could see one of her famous Ghost Pokémon.

"Sure thing, just don't get too close to her and you should be fine. It's always a beautiful thing when two trainers share their common interests." Shauntal quoted before letting Froslass out of its pokeball. At first, Froslass was wary of the third person in the room, but grew an instant friendliness towards Kayla when it was apparent the girl was only interested in learning about Froslass.

Once Kayla was finished viewing the Froslass, Shauntal had Kaz and Kayla retreat to the kitchen while she went into her study to write about the experience she had just witnessed.

"Your aunt is so cool Kaz. I've always looked forward to meeting her someday." Kayla told the boy.

"Well, most people don't believe me when I say we're related. I mean, we look nothing alike for starters. And I'm sure you'll meet her again on the battlefield. Anyway, you want to go grab something to eat at the café in the building next to us?" Kaz wanted to get to know the girl better if they were going to be friends.

"Are you trying to take me out on a date?" She teased him. He shot the question down instantly which caused Kayla to giggle and Kaz to blush slightly.

"Sure whatever you want." He mumbled as they left the room.

Once they were back out on the streets of Castelia, Kaz led Kayla to a small café called the Velvet Coffee Café. Once inside, Kaz let Tex out of his pokeball and Kayla followed suit with Leaf. The two Pokémon stood side by side behind their trainers, sharing cute glances at each other. They reached the counter to order quickly.

"Two sandwiches for us and two for the Pokémon." Kaz ordered and paid for the food. After a short wait, they seated themselves at a patio table outside. They were given a very good view of the city as a whole.

"Wow, I've never seen a city like this before. Well, not in person." Kayla admitted to Kaz. She often read books and saw pictures about big cities, but this was the fist actual time she had visited one.

"Were you scared when you saw all the people and tall buildings? It can be a bit overwhelming to people that have never been here before." Kaz explained.

"Yeah it was pretty terrifying to think of being alone in a place like that. But I have Leaf by my side and you as a friend." She said to him as they ate their food. Kaz ate at the café often, but somehow the experience was almost different. Maybe it was the fact that he had somebody to share the moment with. He could tell that Tex felt the same way. The two Pokémon have been sharing glances all day.

Kaz loved to stare out into Castelia City. The busy streets occupied his mind and it somehow let him think clearer. It was only when he looked out at the city street when he noticed the scientist man again. This time he was sitting at the park area across the street, discussing something with a few people in odd outfits. They reminded Kaz of ninjas.

He froze for a second when the scientist man looked over across the street right at Kaz. Suddenly, he remembered a mysterious phone call he had received that morning.

 _"Uh, hello? This is Kaz Patrick speaking, may I ask who this is?" Kaz groggily spoke into his cell phone upon waking up. It was way too early for phone calls, but the obnoxious ringing woke him up._

 _"I know who you are. Well, rather we know you. Anyway, you'll know who I am later today. I've heard about your skills as a trainer and I confirmed those skills with Miss Shauntal. You are going to meet me and my associates at 1800 hours, or six P.M. if you're unfamiliar with the universal clock, at Central Park in Castelia City. I- no, we have work for you. Bring no one else. You'll know it's me when you get there. Bye!" The other side hung up._

 _Kaz put his phone up and laid back in his bed. He suddenly had too much on his mind to fall back asleep._

Was it possible that the scientist figure was the one he was suppose to meet? Kaz checked his watch, finding out that the time was 5:15 P.M. meaning he still had some time to spend with Kayla.

"Kayla, what do you want to do after we finishing eating?" Kaz asked her.

"I was thinking about challenging the Gym, but we could just visit a place you like and save the Gym for tomorrow." She told him, wanting to spend the rest of the day just hanging out with him.

"I know the perfect place. Just follow me and don't get lost in the crowd of people." They finished eating soon after, and once again, when Kaz looked for the scientist man there was no sign of him. He decided to shrug it off and save the worrying for later.

Kaz and Kayla together along with Leaf and Tex worked their way towards the Central Park area. Kaz often took solace in staring at the fountain when he was bored. He chose a spot along the fountain's concrete border and sat down. He beckoned for Kayla to sit next to him. It was a calm feeling with the cool mist coming off of the fountain and a refreshing breeze lightly peppering his body. Kaz only wanted to share the feeling with Kayla.

She sat next to Kaz in front of the fountain, watching the Bayleef and Mightyena making themselves comfortable at their feet. Kaz dug into his satchel bag and removed a photograph. It was in black and white, but it was still easy to recognize who was in the picture. He gave the picture to Kayla to study.

"Right there on the left was me about six years ago." He explained, "And on the left of me is the champion Alder. If anyone deserves to be the champion, it certainly belongs to him."

"You live such a cool life. I mean, you've met the region Champion, you live in the biggest city around, and you're related to Shauntal of the Elite Four! I'm just somebody from the middle of nowhere." Kayla couldn't control her sudden feelings of jealousy.

"Maybe that's why we get along so well. Opposites attract, right?" Kaz cheered her up right away.

Kaz looked around the park to see many familiar faces. But he stopped and focused on one face in particular. It was the scientist figure from earlier.

"Kayla, wait right here with Tex for a moment. I need to talk to someone." Kaz left her with the photograph and walked towards the man. He noticed that the man wasn't alone and was talking to two people in the odd outfits he had seen earlier. Before Kaz could say anything, the scientist turned around and turned his full attention on the boy.

"Yes?" Was the only response the man gave.

"I feel like you've been watching me." Kaz told him, giving off a sense of confidence.

"Me?" The man seemed confused at first.

"I keep seeing you around, and you seem to be watching me above everyone else. And I think you might be the reason behind the call I received this morning. Just who exactly are you?" Kaz was persistent.

"Oh, uh, one moment." The man tapped a small grey earpiece in his left ear, giving some sort of orders before clicking it off.

"Yes, you must Kaz or whatever your name is, correct? Well, I am the magnificent Colress, head scientist of an organization known to the public as Team Plasma. I figured you would be a little more battle-hardened, but I guess you just take whatever Shauntal can give. I was given the task of developing new methods of...bringing out the full power of certain Pokémon." The scientist Colress explained.

"Where do I come into play?" Kaz wanted to get to the root of why this man wanted him.

"I've heard great things from you, yes, and I think I found a way to put your talents to great use. See, I want you to be my aide, or personal assistant if you'd rather. And there's no need to worry about the research we are performing, it's all towards a glorious cause." Colress was quick on words.

"When do I have to help you?" Kaz was interested, at least he would be leaving the city and doing something to change the world.

"Tomorrow. Any loose ends you want to tie up will have to be done before lunchtime. We will be leaving by aerial escort and reaching my own laboratory outside of Opelucid City." He turned now towards the men in outfits, "As for the grunts, you will be reporting back to Ghetsis about the plan of attack we agreed upon." Colress turned back to Kaz again.

"You will meet me here tomorrow at lunchtime. No exceptions. You will significantly aide the development of my research soon enough." With final words, Colress dismissed Kaz and headed towards the intercity with the two grunts faithfully at his side.

Kaz watched them leave and returned to Kayla, thinking about the offer Colress gave.

"Who was that?" Kayla said simply. Tex and Leaf were curled around her feet.

"My future employer." Kaz replied without a hint of doubt.

"It's getting late. Do you know any hotels I can stay at around here?" She asked.

"Don't worry about it, you can crash at my place. I'm sure Shauntal will let you stay." Kaz and Kayla recalled their Pokémon and began the short journey to Icirrus Heights.

Once inside the apartment room, Kaz told Shauntal about Kayla staying the next few nights, which ignited small talk from the bookworm. As the children settled in for the night, Colress himself was preparing plans for the following day. He was always a step ahead of anyone around him, including his employer Ghetsis. He was in a small one-floor lab on the edge of the city. A military grade helicopter was outside on standby.

"I have the trainer we discussed about. And the power enhancement machine is nearing its completion, Ghetsis." Colress spoke into the grey earpiece as he made small adjustments to a handheld box machine. It was designed to bring out the full potential of a certain type of Pokémon- Dark types. Which was why Colress needed Kaz for his experiments.

"Wonderful news, we will finish ahead of time at this rate. Make sure the experiments go as planned, there's no longer the option of failure in the air." The response came back through the earpiece as cold as ever.

Colress switched the piece off and focused entirely on the adjustments being made. He needed the frequency to reach a regional scale, but he feared it wouldn't be strong enough alone. He would soon find out if it was potent enough. He put the device and the tools he was using on a table nearby and laid down on his bed.

"What if what we are doing won't work? No, if it does work, my research will reach astronomical heights. I may finally be able to leave this stupid organization and perform research on my own." Colress spoke to no one in particular. He was alone in the building, after all. He did not trust Ghetsis, but he was the man responsible to getting Colress so far on his journey to understand the power of Pokémon.

Sleep overcame the city, taking Colress, Kaz, Kayla, Shauntal, and most of everyone else in Unova. The following morning came quickly and Icirrus Heights rose with the sun.

"Hey Kayla, are you awake yet?" Kaz called to her from his room across from hers. He receive a quick response that indicated she was awake. She dressed herself and collected her belongings before leaving the room to find Kaz fully dressed and satchel packed.

"What do you want to do? Kaz asked. He knew he only had until lunchtime to hang with the girl, so he wanted to make it last.

"Eat food." She simply told him. This made them both laugh and they entered the kitchen together. Shauntal was nowhere to be found.

"It's okay, I've got a few things we can have." Kaz pulled some ingredients from the cupboard and began preparing a meal for the both of them. They ate without silence, exchanging conversation and plans. Upon finishing, the pair headed out into the city. Even though it was early morning, the city bustled with activity. Kaz showed Kayla around to a few places and sights, but lunchtime came up on him quickly.

"Hey Kayla, mind if we go to Central Park real quick. I have to meet the guy from yesterday there." Kaz asked her as she photographed a building she liked.

"Yeah! The fountain's pretty cool." She agreed and they walked the short distance to the park. Once they arrived, the park was nearly empty of people except for a particular scientist tapping away on a tablet next to the fountain. He no longer was accompanied by the grunts.

"Oh hello again, Kaz. Cute friend by the way. Are you ready to start your line of work?" Colress asked without looking up once.

"Uh, this is Kayla. And I've already informed my aunt about my leaving. Where exactly are we going and why?" Kaz needed to know the facts before leaving immediately.

"It's a laboratory in Opelucid City. We are leaving by jet and will arrive in just minutes. Once there, I must perform research on your Dark type Mightyena. It will only take but a few days to complete my experiments, and you will be paid and returned here once I finish." Colress calmly explained, powering down the device and standing up.

"Kayla, I want you to stay at Shauntal's place until I get back, or until you decide you're bored of the city. I will understand entirely. You know where I will be if there's an emergency." Kaz said his goodbyes and Colress led the boy out of Central Park and towards a one-story metal building out of the city. A guarded jet plane was parked on a helipad next to it, ready to leave if necessary.

"Kaz. We are leaving immediately, so make sure you are good to go before hopping aboard my personal aerial escort." Colress told him cheerfully.

"I'm ready whenever." Kaz replied, letting Colress lead him into the metal bird. Once they were both inside, Colress mentioned something to the pilot that Kaz couldn't catch. Finally, they began the ascent and took off towards Opelucid City.

Meanwhile, in an apartment room in Castelia City, Kayla found Shauntal at last and told her of her nephews leaving.

"A boy such as himself had to leave the nest eventually. I'm sure his well-being is in order." Shauntal assured the girl. But Kayla couldn't shake the feeling that the Colress character and this Team Plasma he was supposedly affiliated with were in with the wrong crowd. In fact, she didn't even bother to challenge the city's gym because of the worry for the boy.

"Kayla, I can tell when something is wrong. What's the matter?" Shauntal asked her a few hours after she had parted ways from Kaz.

"I can't help but feel like something is going to happen. Why take Kaz out of everyone else?" Kayla explained. The two girls were sitting on the bed in the guest room. Shauntal had brought a cup of tea for Kayla after realizing that she needed the energy.

"It's okay. If you really feel like something's going to happen to Kaz, then I shall have Drayden of the Opelucid City gym check things out. He's a bit familiar with Team Plasma operations in his city." Shauntal reassured her guest. She really had meant it to inform Drayden.

"Thank you, Miss Shauntal. I'll try to forget about it." Kayla said quietly.

But an unexpected phone call changed the girls' plans.

* * *

"Good timing, we've arrived earlier than I planned." Colress exclaimed when the jet initiated touchdown. The side of the plane opened automatically and Kaz could see they were on top of a three-story metal building. A stairway entrance was visible not far away. He removed himself from the jet and waited for both Colress and the pilot to lead him inside the huge lab.

The inside was bland, though. Kaz later found out that it was originally a Steel-type gym that never saw completion. The majority of it was an indoor metal battlefield with a few separate but small rooms for performing research. One room contained a single but massive black box with several buttons and flashing lights on it, but only one grey switch.

The pilot and Colress ended the tour by stopping on one side of the battlefield, instructing Kaz to the other side.

"A battle consists on not only strength but wits and quick thinking. When you're in the heat of the moment you can't forget the simplest of things that may ultimately end up in failure. Deploy your Mightyena for me, please. I will show you what I mean." Colress gave the orders cleanly as he sent out his Magnezone. He proceeded to pull out an electronic tablet and record a few notes.

Kaz sent out Tex, awaiting for Colress to move. But Colress seemed to just ignore the battle, paying full attention to his device. Kaz took advantage of this pause and gave simple commands.

"Alright then Tex, use Bite on his Magnezone!" The Mightyena readied a stance and jumped towards Colress's Pokémon.

"Dodge, then use Electro Ball." Colress commanded, only looking up for a moment to inspect the battle. Everything went exactly as the scientist predicted, ending up with Tex on the cold floor.

"You attacked head-on, knowing that it wasn't the best strategy but the most direct method of attack. Allow me to introduce some of my research into the battle." Colress left the battlefield and entered the side room that contained the black box. He placed a hand on the switch, but hesitated. He still didn't know what it would end up doing, only that Dark-types would be affected.

Colress flipped the switch down, causing the black box machine to light up vibrantly. He left the room and returned to the battle beside the jet pilot.

"Reset the battle. When you are ready, Magnezone is waiting." Colress told Kaz from across the room. He picked up the electronic device he was writing notes down on.

"Use Bite again. The same way you did last time." Kaz gave the order, and Tex jumped towards Magnezone. But something changed inside the wolf, igniting a visible aura surrounding his body. Tex's eyes became an evil shade of maroon.

"Magnezone, dodge once more and use Electro Ball!" Colress was suddenly interested fully on the battle in front of his eyes. Magnezone floated off to the side as Tex jumped past, but at the last moment, Tex chomped hard onto the side of its metal body. This caused the two of them to crash to the ground instantly. Tex immediately hopped back up with agile aggressiveness and finished Magnezone off without a seconds notice.

Colress was surprised at the capabilities he had created. He recalled Magnezone and studied Kaz's Pokémon from afar, knowing best to keep his distance. To think that his creation increased a Dark-types power almost ten-fold was unbelievable. Another thought crossed his mind though.

 _"I designed the machine to have a regional affect to Dark-types...And the only way to shut it off is by destroying its interior."_

Not far away, Elite Four member Grimsley was camping in the forest surrounding Icirrus City. The master of Dark-type Pokémon was training his Bisharp to perfect certain move combinations. The training was going exactly the way Grimsley expected, at least for a while. After a double combination of paralysis and attack, Bisharp suddenly stopped simply standing by himself.

"Bisharp, if you want to stop, we can-" Grimsley was cut off when his Pokémon turned to face him. Its eyes turned an odd shade of maroon. Grimsley didn't want to find out why or what Bisharp would be capable of, so he recalled the Pokémon back into his ball. If anything, he would try to reach Icirrus City so he could call his best friend, Shauntal.

Grimsley packed his bags and belongings, heading in the direction of the snowy city. It was not long before he reached the Pokémon Center, only to find it in disarray. Brycen was attempting to calm the trainers and the nurse as Dark-type moves flew around the room.

"Brycen, do we know why these Pokémon are acting so strange?" Grimsley asked as a Poochyena sprung past his head.

"No. And we don't have much control over the situation either." Brycen informed Grimsley about the Dark-type Pokémon running wild as if possessed by something. Grimsley took a moment from the chaos to open his phone. He had to dial Shauntal and know if she knew anything about the problem.

"Shauntal, where are you. I need to speak to you in person." Grimsley never sounded so distressed before.

"Why? What's the hurry?" Shauntal was still uninformed about the Dark-type problem happening around the Unova region. She was quickly filled in and set about coming up with a plan.

"Kayla, where did you say Kaz was heading off to?" Shauntal asked the girl still sitting next to her. Kayla looked up and recited the location perfectly.

"He said he was leaving for a laboratory in Opelucid City. That's all he told me." Shauntal gave the location to Grimsley.

"If your idea is at least partially correct, Opelucid City seems like a good place to meet up." Grimsley cut the call and headed out of the Icirrus City Center towards the city of dragons.

On the other end in Icirrus Heights, Shauntal and Kayla began to pack a few things to head out on their own way. There was little discussion about how they would reach their destination as Kayla had both a Pidgeot and a Fearow in her party. She allowed Shauntal to use Fearow on the flight, and the two began their ascent above Castelia City.

Two parties were on their way to Opelucid City, while another group of people including Colress and Kaz were inside of a large metal building.

"Kaz, please recall your Pokémon to prevent any accidents from occurring." Colress told the boy calmly. The pilot from earlier was sent away to inform Ghetsis of the machine's successful. Now all that was left was to process the information he had attained.

Before Colress could move two feet, all of the lights simultaneously turned off. There was angry shouting to be heard from the exterior, including loudly proposed 'Don't move!"

"Colress what's going on?" Kaz asked. For once, his mind was racing about whether it was police or someone wanting to kill them.

"It's Ghetsis. I always knew he was planning on stealing my invention for his own personal use. Luckily I've prepared myself for this." Colress sent out Magnezone and had it use Thunder Wave to knock out the backup power, sealing off all electronic entrances to the building.

Above the building, a chopper landed on the roof. Ghetsis stepped out of it accompanied by six of his best grunts, one of them carrying an evil looking drill machine capable of cutting through almost any substance. They positioned the drill at a weak spot in the metal roof and bore a hole right through it. Two more grunts through a rope cable down and tied the ends to the chopper.

Two more Plasma helicopters followed the first and soon enough, there were more than twenty grunts following Ghetsis into the laboratory through the hole in the roof. Ghetsis's men surrounded Colress and Kaz, forcing them into the center of the battlefield. Grunt after grunt sent out Mightyena and other common Dark-type Pokémon, each with glowing auras and maroon colored eyes.

"What are you doing Ghetsis? We are on the same side! I helped you build your machine, and I've learned all I need from it." Colress explained to the sinister leader.

"You've been lying to me. You told me you would stay in Team Plasma and assist to my command. I know you only joined to learn about the full potential of Pokémon. You were planning to leave my organization as soon as you had all the information you needed, weren't you?" Ghetsis laughed as Colress could only grit his teeth. Kaz maintained his cool beside the scientist. Seconds from now, several Dark-type Pokémon with strength beyond normal levels would tear them apart.

Before the duo could embrace their end, a sudden entrance by three unlikely heroes joined their side. A Pidgeot carrying Kayla joined by a Fearow carrying Shauntal and Grimsley swooped into the building through the roof and joined the center of the battlefield alongside the scientist and the boy.

"Who are you and how did you find this place?" Ghetsis was confused at the how the additional support got there. Shauntal explained quickly.

"The three of us had a hunch that the source of why Dark-types were acting so differently. When we got here, we found a forced entrance. so we feared the worse for a moment." She turned to face Colress, seeing him next to her family, "I hope we can trust you to help us?"

Colress nodded and the five of them adapted battle stances. They were ready to fight for their freedom, or die trying. Twenty plus grunts stood at Ghetsis's command, armed with the power enhanced Dark-types.

Kayla sent out Leaf, while her Pidgeot and Fearow wrapped around awaiting orders. Shauntal sent out Froslass and Cofagrigus, each one ready for battle. Grimsley let out his Bisharp, fully aware of its new-found aggressiveness. But when he let it out, he was pleasantly surprised to see that it was ready to battle for Grimsley. Colress sent out Magnezone after healing his Pokémon from the previous experiments. Finally, Kaz happily let Mightyena out of its Pokeball, glad to see that it was going to fight for its trainer until the end.

Colress, Shauntal, Grimsley, Kaz, and Kayla all stood together in the center of the metal battlefield, surrounded by their Pokémon, and completely circled by Plasma grunts. Ghetsis yelled the command of attack and a battle that would be etched into history forever began. Power engulfed Dark-types leapt at the group. Attacks were stopped by Leaf Storms and Electro Balls.

"This is taking too long. Why fend off the inevitable?!" Ghetsis shouted at the small group in the center. As smart and well-thought out Colress was, he didn't expect a full-on assault from Ghetsis himself. He continued to yell out commands to his trusted Magnezone.

As for Grimsley, he had developed a Thunder Wave and Night Slash combo for Bisharp that he used on each enemy that came at them. Bisharp executed each move as he would in the Pokémon League.

Shauntal switched back between her two Pokémon, commanding each one to attack head on. While it was true Dark-types were super powered, the small team of five trainers fended off the horde without failure. But Ghetsis wasn't planning on letting the battle go off in their favour.

While the fighting continued to develop, Ghetsis snuck off into the server room with the black box controlling the Pokémon. Colress had told him the only way to shut it off was by destroying it. Keeping this in mind, he quickly set to work rigging the box with high level explosives. If these trainers were going to ruin his plan, he might as well bury them with this machine.

Upon planting several high level remotely detonated explosives, he left the room, leaving the doors wide open. Ghetsis spoke into a small earpiece that would signal his retreat. Kayla noticed him leaving the room suspiciously. What was he doing inside that room? To her, it didn't matter what the reason was.

"Leaf, aim your Leaf Storm specifically at the room that man just left!" Kayla shouted, not knowing what it could lead to. Before anyone could make any movements to stop her, several gusts of razor sharp leaves blew into the server room, piercing the explosives rigged to the box. Waves of flames and debris exited the tiny room faster than Ghetsis or his grunts could react to it. Before long, most of the people and Pokémon in the room were lying on the floor unconscious.

Kayla lost vision after seeing her beloved Pidgeot fall from the sky and Leaf get knocked out. She regained consciousness an unknown amount of time later.

The building was laden in a thick layer of smoke. Kayla's vision blurred and she couldn't see two feet ahead of her. All she could tell was that she was lying on the cold metal floor. Something was in front of her though, something that looked slightly familiar...

It was a hat. A dark grey baseball cap with the initials K.P. stitched into the front. It was Kaz Patrick's hat. Kayla noticed something much bigger lying near the hat. It was a human, about the same size as Kayla. He wasn't moving or breathing.

"Oh my gosh, it's Kaz!" She instantly crawled to his side. She locked her hand with his in support, but he still didn't stir. Kayla was worried that her friend would never wake up. Her mind was spinning in confusion and terror. So she did the only thing she could think up.

Kayla pressed her lips up against Kaz's mouth. She wanted to do it at least one time before she lost him forever. It was a stirring mixed feeling she had been thinking about since that first battle in the forest. It was a horrible reality that she may never see Kaz again after today.

Suddenly, the boy pushed her off of him and coughed up the smoke in his lungs. Every bad thought about losing him erased themselves from Kayla's mind. She helped Kaz sit up when she saw him trying to.

"What...what's with all this smoke?" He asked, looking up in confusion. A loud cracking sound could be heard nearby and a metal on metal clanging followed.

"We're not safe. I'll help you get out of here." Kayla offered and pulled Kaz to his feet. Together, they searched for a way out through the thick smoke. They knew they only had a small amount of time before the building would collapse and crush them both, if they didn't inhale too much smoke first. A visible light source was about fifteen feet ahead.

"Kaz, look right over there." Kayla and Kaz together walked towards the light in the smoke. It turned out to be the same place where the machine Colress built was, now only a gaping hole to the outside. When they reached it, they collapsed together on the soft green grass that awaited their arrival. Not long after a voice spoke to them.

"You two don't understand how worried I was when I found out that you were the only two unaccounted for. Everyone, both people and Pokémon on our side, made it out alive." Shauntal talked in a quiet voice, despite her concern. Grimsley strode over and helped the children to their feet.

Once Kayla and Kaz were both standing again, she felt a sudden weight hugging her as Kaz leaned over and whispered into her ear.

"Thank you for saving me. I've never had a friend like you, and I hope we never leave each other again."

Kayla was left with feelings that she had never experienced before. Kaz followed Shauntal back to Tex, who was perfectly healthy and no longer had glowing red eyes. Colress was standing nearby, making sure Tex made it back to his trainer.

"As of today, I no longer take orders from Team Plasma. I will return to searching this massive region for now. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you and your family, I was only following an evil man to pursue a dream I've had since a kid. I know we will meet up again someday, but for now it's farewell." Colress turned his back to Kaz and walked towards Opelucid City. He was carrying Magnezone's pokeball in one hand and his device in the other.

Police swarmed the scene and had everyone move to a safe location before the laboratory finally collapsed on itself. According to the police report, two children, two members of the Elite Four, Ghetsis, and several plasma grunts were saved from the wreckage. Even though Ghetsis fled the area, many of his men were arrested.

Grimsley returned to Icirrus City as soon as he could with Bisharp. They still wanted to perfect the move combinations they had been practicing. Once Grimsley left the scene, only Shauntal, Kaz, and Kayla remained. They decided to leave for Castelia City once Kayla's Pokémon returned to her. They had a victorious flight home, celebrating their success.

Once they returned home to Icirrus Heights, Kaz surprised both Shauntal and Kayla with an announcement.

"I've been thinking about it for a while, and I have decided that I will go on a journey with Kayla. I want to become a better trainer and person." Kaz explained. Shauntal allowed it before disappearing into her study. They would leave after a good nights sleep and once Kayla defeated Burgh in battle.

Before retiring to her temporary room, Kayla entered Kaz's room and they sat on his bed together.

"Somebody, somewhere owes me a new hat." Kaz complained as Kayla messed with his spiky blonde hair.

"It's okay. I think you look good without a hat. Your hair brings out your eyes." Kayla assured him.

"I was thinking about something Colress said to me before he left. He sounded certain he would see me again someday." It didn't bother Kaz much, but the certainty in the scientist's voice was solid.

"Don't worry too much about it. At least you'll be traveling with me now and you don't understand how happy it makes me. We can visit exotic places together and have as much fun as possible." Kayla excitedly told him.

"Before we left the laboratory, I woke up to you kissing me. I didn't think I would like it as much as I did, but I enjoyed it." Kaz saw Kayla look down in embarrassment, so he leaned over to her and kissed her cheek softly, whispering a last few words to her.

"Have a good night, I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

 **Your going to see me complain a little bit down here. 2,000 words in, my computer crashed sending me back to around 550. It sucked. Then when I finally reached the end, the page refreshed itself and I lost a few thousand words again. Remember to always save in intervals *~*.**

 **This will not continue, so don't ask. I'm wasting your time to go and read other stories at this point, so goodbye you lovely cats^**

 **~Dr. Kazakhstan**


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